


Sentinel

by Wingwyrm



Category: Stargate Atlantis, The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Drabble, Multi, Sentinel AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-01
Updated: 2011-12-01
Packaged: 2017-10-26 18:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wingwyrm/pseuds/Wingwyrm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney is a Sentinel, and John decides that he'll be his Guide. (Post Sentinel AU of 'Hide and Seek')</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sentinel

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Sheafrotherdon's 'Skin Hunger' challenge/wee-festival in 2007. I cleaned it up and added a few lines to make it read better.  
> 

He thought he'd learnt how to control it years ago. But he found out that it wasn't controlled so much as driven off-line. It had been off-line for so long; for years...

And one touch was all it took. One touch of Sheppard's soft, smooth, callused fingers against his cheek, waking him up from a sensory overload from that damned energy sucking cloud...

Rodney couldn't control it, but it was easier with Sheppard around. Sheppard touched him when they talked, divided his senses so that he wouldn't zone on just one thing. Teyla was especially nice to be around too, other than her necklace. He didn't know what that was for, but the buzz of it grated on his ears. He couldn't tell if it was mechanical or organic.

He could smell everything now; taste the air, see microbes without needing a microscope. He could hear the _hummmm_ of Atlantis and all the hushed conversations around him.

But the worst part of all was that now he could feel _everything_.

He could feel the moisture in the air, the sun reflecting off the water and off the walls. He could feel the passing of energy under his fingers when he worked with the Ancient machinery. It was a little like hell on earth, if admitted to himself that it hurt.

"Rodney?" Sheppard probably thought that he'd ninja'ed his way up next to him and Rodney dialled down all of his senses so that he wouldn't get lost. It might be easier not to zone with Sheppard, but that didn't mean Rodney wouldn't get lost in what he sensed. Sheppard sent all of his senses into a mind boggling tailspin that he couldn't get out of without help.

"Sheppard." Rodney inched away subtly, refusing to let Sheppard's smell linger in his nose.

"You okay there buddy?" Sheppard reached out and rested his hand against Rodney's forehead.

That simple touch did more then just send him into a tailspin; it overwhelmed him. The feel of Sheppard's fingers once again, the wetness of his sweat, the creases of his fingerprints.

"Rodney." The heartbeat, forcing the blood through his veins, even the tiny ones in his fingers, the larger ones in his palm.

"Rodney?" There was a spike in the heartbeats and the smell of sweat increased and vaguely Rodney wondered why.

"Rodney, you're scaring me. Come back here..." There was a loud snap right in front of Rodney and he jerked back, startled.

"What the hell, Sheppard!"

"You were totally out of it buddy," John had a look on his face that Rodney might have even been able to call concern, "Let's get you to Beckett-"

Rodney evaded Sheppard's grasping hands. "I don't need Carson. There is nothing wrong with me."

"Bullshit Rodney."

Rodney was treated with a flat stare and the tones of disapproval and worry in Sheppard's voice made Rodney stop and actually look at the Major. Rodney could see the wide pupils, hear the heartbeat. Sheppard wasn't joking around anymore. He wanted answers.

"Fine. But I'm not going to see Carson."

"But you're admitting that there's something wrong." Sheppard's words were still flat and his eyes darkened. Rodney nodded jerkily before waving to the door.

"Lock it." Rodney could hear the inaudible click of the door locking and he slumped into his chair.

Sheppard crouched down so that he was eye to eye with Rodney and he reached out. He _touched_ again. Rodney closed his eyes in the pure bliss of Sheppard's fingers on his knee. Even through his pants... There was nothing like Sheppard.

"Tell me what's wrong." He wasn't ordering, just asking and Rodney forced himself to dial back the touch, dial down the sensation.

"I'm sensitive."

John didn't laugh. Thankfully. "What do you mean?" This wasn't emotions, and Sheppard knew that.

"You say that your eyesight is twenty-ten, right?"

Curious, Sheppard nodded, "Yeah."

Pointing out the window, Rodney smiled, "There's a dolphin sized creature jumping out of the water right now. He's about three point seven kilometres off the edge of the city."

Sheppard didn't see anything, but he also knew how badly Rodney lied. And Rodney wasn't lying about what he'd just said. "You can see something that small over two miles away?"

"I can see the spots on it's nose." Realizing that he needed to speed this up, that Sheppard wasn't getting it, he reached out and pulled back Sheppard's collar. "I can smell two women on this shirt." The shirt was just one of Sheppard's regular black tee-shirts. "One is Elisabeth. The other... Raspberries and Oranges. She was wearing a water smelling body mist and had her hair must have been so full of hair spray to transfer so strongly..."

Rodney could smell the * _fear/wonder/disbelief_ * from Sheppard and shook his head.

"Rodney..."

"When you touched me; checked my pulse after the energy cloud left- It opened up my senses. I could use them again, just a fully as I could when I was a child." Rodney stroked Sheppard's face and the man almost backed away. "Touch was always my strongest."

"Sentinel." John practically breathed out.

The word surprised Rodney and he cocked his head to the side, "What?"

"I... I once knew a guy. Ten, maybe twelve, years ago. He was looking for a 'Sentinel'. A person with five enhanced senses." Sheppard grinned. "You must be one. I never believed him."

Rodney shrugged. "Well. I don't know what it's called. I guess Sentinel is as good a name as any." His fingers were still against Sheppard's cheek and he could feel the muscles move under the skin.

"Don't zone out on me buddy." Sheppard's voice kept him from focusing only on the skin and Rodney jerked his hand away.

"I'm not sure how to deal with this. It's been so many years." He didn't want to admit that it hurt.

"Don't worry, Buddy. I'll help guide you." Sheppard grasped his hand. "I won't let you down."

Skin. Pure Sheppard skin...

"Thank you."

**The End**


End file.
